Articles
World's first patient treated with personalised gene editing
In what is being described as a historic medical breakthrough, an infant diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder has been treated with a customised CRISPR gene editing therapy. [ + ]
Reptiles originated 35 million years earlier than we thought
Newly discovered fossilised footprints with long toes and claws, found in a small rock slab in Victoria, are believed to have been made by a small goanna-like creature about 355 million years ago. [ + ]
Korea's Haenyeo show genetic adaptation to cold-water diving
The Haenyeo, a group of all-female divers from the Korean island of Jeju, are renowned for their ability to dive in frigid waters without the aid of breathing equipment — even while pregnant. [ + ]
Breakthrough in imaging biomolecules inside cells
US researchers have found a way to expand tissue samples so that hundreds of biomolecules can be seen in their native locations. [ + ]
Shingles vaccine may lower risk of dementia, heart disease
It turns out that the shingles vaccine may have public-health benefits beyond its intended purpose, with new research finding the vaccine appears to lower the risk of dementia as well as heart disease. [ + ]
Newly created antivenom protects against 19 deadly snakes
By using antibodies from a human donor with a self-induced hyper-immunity to snake venom, US researchers claim to have developed the most broadly effective antivenom to date. [ + ]
How does the brain evaluate rewards?
Neuroscientists have shown how nerve cells in the amygdala not only encode the probability and magnitude of rewards, but also dynamically process this information to predict value and risk. [ + ]
Photoluminescent detection of gunshot residue
As part of a new method for detecting gunshot residue, the lead particles found in the residue are converted into a light-emitting semiconductor. [ + ]
Breakthrough drug prevents long COVID symptoms in mice
Mice treated with the antiviral compound were protected from long-term brain and lung dysfunction — key symptoms of long COVID. [ + ]
Antibiotics hinder vaccine response in infants
Infants who received antibiotics in the first few weeks of life had significantly lower levels of antibodies against multiple different vaccine antigens months later. [ + ]
Light pollution promotes blue-green algae growth in lakes
Artificial light at night promotes the proliferation of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, which can produce toxins. [ + ]
Colossal announces 'de-extinction' of the dire wolf
Colossal Biosciences has announced what it describes as the rebirth of the dire wolf, which would make it the world's first successfully de-extincted animal. [ + ]
Chewing gum can shed microplastics into saliva, study finds
Most of the microplastics detached from gum within the first two minutes of chewing, with the act of chewing itself abrasive enough to make pieces flake off. [ + ]
Aspirin could prevent some cancers from spreading
The research could lead to the targeted use of aspirin to prevent the spread of susceptible types of cancer, as well as the development of more effective drugs to prevent cancer metastasis. [ + ]
Benchtop NMR used to assess heart disease risk
The breakthrough will enable more accessible, high-throughput cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment in clinics and laboratories worldwide. [ + ]
